DCMA Section 508 Program

In 1998, Section 508 (Sec. 508) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was amended, requiring Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities—to provide “comparable access” to data and information for people with disabilities to those without disabilities.

Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, open new opportunities for people with disabilities, and encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Under Section 508 (29 U.S.C. ‘794 d), agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to access available to others. More information on Section 508 and the technical standards can be found at http://www.section508.gov.

Summary of Section 508 Technical Standards

The standards provide criteria specific to various types of technologies, including:

Software applications and operating systems
Web-based information or applications
Telecommunication products
Video and multimedia products
Self-contained, closed products (e.g., information kiosks, calculators, and fax machines)
Desktop and portable computers

DCMA Commitment to Section 508 Compliance

The Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) is committed to making its electronic and information technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities by meeting or exceeding the requirements of Section 508. Our comprehensive approach to Section 508 compliance ensures people with disabilities have access which is comparable to those who do not have disabilities, and our commitment to accessibility includes content and online services provided through this website.

We include Section 508 standards and requirements in our procurement processes, development, implementation and maintenance processes, and provide technical guidance, tool, and resources to assist with Section 508 compliance throughout the agency. In addition, we provide training to employees on the Section 508 standards, and how to develop and buy accessible technology. DCMA has a dedicated Compliance and Remediation team that conducts audits and provides remediation services or provides remediation recommendations to ensure all agency EIT is accessible and usable by all employees.

It is DCMA’s goal to include Section 508 standards and requirements in our processes, including how we:

Procure

Acquire goods and services
Conduct market research
Create solicitations
Evaluate and validate contractor Section 508 compliance claims
Decide to make purchase awards to contractors

Develop

Design using standards based on universal design principles
Include people with disabilities in usability testing
Develop technology using accessibility coding best practices
Perform Section 508 compliance testing using automated tools, code reviews, and manual user testing with assistive technologies

Train

Provide technical guidance, tools and resources to assist with Section 508 compliance throughout the agency
Provide training to employees on the Section 508 standards, and how to develop and buy accessible technology
Conduct communications and awareness initiatives throughout the agency